Hi WG - welcome back, just in time for Spring!

Hello... You haven't really missed a heck of a lot, whitegarden. We've been pretty quiet here for the most part. Glad to see you. :-)

Hi WG,
How is your garden holding up this spring? Have you been able to keep the voles at bay? Your peony's and iris must be showing up.

Thanks for the greetings, guys. Do you guys want to come here to swap plants?

I think I have found a good solution to the voles. I am still finding holes but no where near the amount of damage.

My garden still seems to be "eating" perennials every year. This year my white dicentra seems to have vanished in many places. I can't keep up with it!!!

How are your gardens doing?

WG, I still have plenty of the white rose campion you were looking for last year if we end up having a swap this spring.

Thanks Eric. I would love some. Since it self-seeds so readily, that is one way around my vole problem.

Nice to see you back, WG.

So, are you going to elaborate on your teaser about the vole solution? I'd love to know of something that would help (other than a cat* since our road is way too busy for pets.)

yeah, I got psyched at another vole solution too.

This winter they ate two rosebushes (roots). That's a new one! That's so far anyhow. TOo early for full assessment.

THIS is the way your mother made her garden grow. She traded thriving plants with friends and neighbors.

Which is exactly what we'll be doing at the New England Plant Swap this Spring. Sharing is the best part of gardening. When a plant does well enough here in New England, others want to know about it. They'd like even more to HAVE some of it.

If you haven't been to a good, old-fashioned plant swap, you're in for a treat. Pot up your excess prized plants to share. Load up your bounty and head to beautiful Adams Farm at 999 North St. in Walpole MA on June 2, 2012 at 9 am. There, you will meet other, friendly, local gardeners with their booty for sharing.

It's simple, free and fun for all. For each plant you bring, you can take a plant from someone else. All the details are at our web site: http://www.newenglandplantswap.org or we may be reached at info@newenglandplantswap.org. We look forward to seeing you there.

Your mother would be proud. In fact, BRING your mother and other friends who like to share.

Here is a link that might be useful: 2012 New England Plant Swap

Whitegarden, what is your new vole solution?? For the first time ever in my years of gardening, I've had a terrible battle with voles since last winter. All the snow last year seemed to provide a haven for rodents to over-populate. This spring things are much better, but there is still one eating my tulips and Camassia in the front garden!

I tried using the castor oil/human urine/water solution (recommended on Hosta forum) about a week ago and haven't noticed any more tulips wilting since then (the voles eat the bulbs and the foliage wilts).

I had been using a bait which has been discontinued. I have found this though and might start using it this year:

http://www.volecontrol.com/product_shop.html

Looks very good. With all my stone walls, I don't think I will ever be completely vole-free, so these bait stations may be the way to go.

Hi There,
I have plenty of grass for you. It wants to eat my hellebores and sanguinaria. I'd rather move the grass than those.
I still look at the pictures you took of my garden, and get happiness from them.

I think your idea of a swap may reactivate a discussion about where and whom. There may have been another tentative offer.....not sure then the discussion dropped off our screens.

Marie

Hey Marie!

Yea, I think everyone is quiet about a swap. I am planning on going to CT and NH. Are you going to Annie's in NH? If not, maybe we could find a time to get together.

This thread is from 2010! Don't know how it got resurrected. We are constructing a new barn this year, so I don't think I could host one even if there was interest.

Would still love the grass though! :)

Oh jeez, I didn't even notice this was an old thread! Daylily guy bumped it to notify about the swap? Which I am thinking about going to, but Walpole isn't exactly close to Concord, and also I have a tenant that is supposed to vacate on May 31st and the situation is problematic...

Anyway, that vole bait looks interesting, I have also purchased some hardware cloth and plan to use that to encircle some of my special Echinacea seedlings and other plants.